


What are we

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 11:27:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20759597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Late nights and needs that pull them back together





	What are we

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
With this fic we are walking the line between fluff and angst… and I’m not sure if either pulled me over to its side :D  
Enjoy! <3

They did it again. No matter how they tried, no matter how they fought it, they always seemed to end up in the same place. Each other’s arms.

Her roommates had a week off, went to visit their families, so she was alone. Normally her sleep was quite peaceful, but for some strange reason, she had trouble with turning her mind off. That was caused by the one and only Ethan Ramsey, his blue eyes shining right before her eyes whenever she closed them to sleep. She tried ignoring it, she tried forgetting about them, but it proved to be impossible. One night, when she was feeling especially lonely, her hand reached for her phone without even thinking about it.

“Claire? Is everything okay? Are you alright?” there was concern in his voice, but not even a sliver of tiredness or sleep. _So he was awake too._

“Can you… can you come over?” the question felt stupid and wrong the second it fell from her lips, and she backpedaled as soon as she could. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked, I-“

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

True to his words, ten minutes later there was a sharp knock on the door, urgent and impatient. She opened them wide and there he was, a wild look in his eyes as he didn’t know what to expect. He looked her over, from her feet to her head, searching for any signs of discomfort. Stopping at her eyes, he could see the conflict in them. He knew that look all too well, it’s a feeling that has been with him nonstop for the past three weeks. Without thinking, he took a large step and engulfed her in a hug, pulling her head to his chest, taking a deep breath.

Looking back, neither could point out which one initiated the kiss, but the next thing they remember is their lips smashed together, force pushing the air out of their lungs. They clung to one another tightly, pulling on the clothes impatiently as they backed into her room. Piece by piece, they uncovered their bodies, the sight so familiar and yet each time they did that felt like the first. And they have done it quite a few times now. So much so, that he could close his eyes and see every detail of her body very clearly, as though she was standing right in front of him. Now, having her in his arms yet again, he couldn’t focus on anything else, but the immense pleasure he got from feeling her under him, her nails dragging lines onto the skin of his back, her lips sucking onto the skin of his shoulder and neck. The feeling of being connected to her, as close as he could, it left him wanting more. It always left him wanting more.

Hours went by, and there she was, late at night, tangled in bedsheets with Ethan Ramsey, yet again. He was breathing evenly, his head turned towards her, his hair all over her pillow, falling onto his forehead. He was beautiful, the most handsome man she has ever seen. And he was there with her. He _chose_ to be there with her. Not for long, not for good, but he was there with her now. And yet, she still couldn’t sleep. He was the source of her confusion and worry, he was the reason her mind and heart were racing, and not even his presence could help her now.

As quietly as she could, and as delicately as she could, she left the bed, letting him sleep. God knew how much he needed it, with their work being a demanding one. Her footsteps were soft against the wooden panels on the floor as she went to the kitchen. Turning the kettle on, she opted for a cup of tea, even though she knew she probably shouldn’t be drinking it that late at night. Leaning against the counter, she drowned in her thoughts again.

His eyes, his lips, his smile, the look on his face when he was falling apart. The way his muscles moved when he was putting work into his activities. The sparkle in his eye when he looked at her. She wasn’t sure what they were. She was almost certain that he didn’t know that either. Their situation was a unusual one, difficult and, for the most part, painful. At the end of the day, they couldn’t be together, it could only end one way, and that was with tears and a broken heart for both of them. At least for now.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind her back. Suddenly, there was a pair of hands on her hips, a pair of lips on the back of her neck, kissing their way up to her ear tenderly.

“I was wondering where you went.” He whispered against her, his hot breath tickling her skin lightly.

She leaned back against him, her head fitting right into the crook of his neck, closing her eyes. She wanted to remember as much of it as possible. Last time he was here, they both knew that would be their last, and yet, here they were.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Is everything okay?” the concern was back in his voice. He was so attentive to her needs, noticing the smallest things about her. He knew her. _Why did he have to know her so well?_

“Ethan, what are we?” her voice was barely a whisper, broken by her emotions, air trapped in her throat.

They fell silent, not daring to speak a word or move a muscle. The situation was fragile, so delicate that any sign of their emotions would break it like a glass, shattering them both into million pieces. She took a step away from him, then another, and another, until she was standing by the window of her living room, looking down on the city, deep in sleep, unaware of the tragedy that was taking place in the apartment, high above the ground. High above their problems.

She could hear him take a deep breath, take those steps, full of hesitation. Claire felt the heat of his body on her back, radiating from him, wrapping her in its warmth.

“Claire…” they never had that conversation. Not like this. They were both stripped from their guards, their walls down, emotions on display, hearts out on their sleeves. He was broken, his voice cracking, breath catching whenever he tried to get the words out.

“I know. I’m sorry for bringing it up. I’m sorry for calling you. I’m sorry for not being able to let you go, but… that’s it. I just _can’t let you go. _I can’t get you out of my mind. You are stuck there, and I’m afraid it’s always going to be that way. I can’t help it. And I don’t want you to worry about it, I’ll manage. I don’t want you to feel like you are obligated to help me or to be there for me. I’ll be fi-“

His arms wrapped around her shoulders suddenly, stopping her dead in her tracks. She tensed for a short moment, only to relax almost immediately, leaning back into him. They stood like that for a short while, before he turned her around to face him, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Their foreheads touches, eyes locked, and they smiled at the closeness and comfort flowing between them.

They began swaying, in the darkness and with no music. She was about to point it out, when she heard him humming a soft tune under his breath, moving in time with it. She tangled her fingers into the hair at the back of his head, running them through the silky strands, ruffled by sleep.

They danced the night away, unsure of what the day would bring. A lot of unasked and unanswered questions, but they would get through it. They had to. They had something worth fighting for.


End file.
